Queens mother charged in death of 5-year-old daughter appears in court

A Queens mother charged with murder in the death of her 5-year-old daughter appeared in court Friday.

Francis Cabello, 32, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Fabiana Cabello. 

Cabello called 911 Wednesday evening and allegedly confessed to killing her daughter, according to police sources.   

When officers arrived at the family's Richmond Hill home, they found Fabiana unconscious. She was transported to a hospital, where she later died.  

According to the criminal complaint, the city's medical examiner found abrasions on the girl's face and tiny spots of bleeding in her eyes, heart and lungs. The complaint states those findings can be associated with asphyxia.     

Outside Queens Criminal Court, Cabello's father, Franklin Cabello, said he tried to get his daughter's attention during her arraignment, but she did not look his way.

He described his granddaughter as a bright child who was becoming bilingual with her mother's help.

"She take care her daughter all time," Franklin Cabello said.

Franklin Cabello said his daughter had struggled with mental health issues, was recently hospitalized in a psychiatric ward and later told him she had stopped taking her medication.

"We hope the judge takes into consideration her mental health," he said.

Franklin Cabello said he believes his daughter loved her child and does not know what happened inside the home.

"She always was a good daughter for me," he said. "She is a good mother, too."

Francis Cabello is being held without bail.